Marie Theresa (Grosjacques)
Persyn passed away peacefully at
her home at Country Meadows
Village Woodburn, Oregon on
11/1/2014. Marie was born at
Kelley's Island, Lake Erie, Ohio
on November 6, 1916. There
she lived with her parents Julian
and Amanda Grosjacques and
her siblings Mary, Vince, Joe
and Agnes. When three years
old, a Catholic newspaper in
German from Mt. Angel, Oregon drew the family to that
community. There she lived on the small family farm
on the slopes of the Mt Angel Abbey hill where John,
Leo and Frank were added to the family. She attended
St. Mary's Grammar School, Mt Angel Academy High
School, and Mt Angel Normal School for a teaching
credential. She taught classes at the Academy which
allowed her to finish her Bachelor Degree in English at
Mt Angel College in 1938. Marie excelled in academics
and sports. She met Charles Persyn of Mt Angel, and the
were married at St Mary's Church in July, 1938. At that
time, Charles was employed as a chemical engineer by
Associated Oil Company in the San Francisco Bay area.
Living first in Martinez 3 years, in company housing at
Avon for 13 years and finally in Concord, she raised 3
sons. She also supported her husband in his career
including his community service with the Rotary Club
and the Chamber of Commerce. With a calling by her
Catholic faith to perform good works in her community,
Marie volunteered with Catholic Charities, the American
Cancer Society (breast cancer survivor), Bay Area Crisis
Nursery, and the American Association of University
Women. She also was active in her parish, St Agnes,
Concord. Marie, acting as general contractor, had the
family home built in Concord in 1957. Over the next
decades she helped fill the two acres of land surrounding
the home with fruit and evergreen trees, flowers and
huge vegetable gardens. With the death of her husband
on their 67th anniversary (2005), Marie, in time, realized
that she should return to her Oregon home having spent
the past 74 years in California. In early 2012, she moved
to Country Meadows Village in Woodburn, Oregon. Here
she found herself surrounded and loved by family.
Marie will be remembered as very caring and
gracious throughout her life. She loved to visit with
family and friends-all were very special to her.
Marie was preceded in death by her husband,
Charles, her parents, and all of her siblings, which included
brother Vince Joe, Leo, John and Frank Grosjacques and
sisters Mary Flury and Agnes Uselman. She is survived by
her three sons, Charles (Lois), Allan and Donald (Joyce),
seven grandchildren (Suzanne Persyn, Yvonne Tanner,
Vin and Tory Persyn, Lalania Olsby, Ben and Seth Persyn)
and six great-grandchildren (Sirus, Elizabeth, and Kaylin
Persyn, Lucius Vigeant-Persyn, Drew and Dylan Olsby.)
At St Mary's Catholic Church in Mt Angel, Oregon, a
combined Rosary and Mass service will be held on Friday
November 7, 2014 with the rosary at 10am and the Mass
starting at 10:30am. Interment will be held at the Calvary
Cemetery, Mt Angel, after which there will be a luncheon
at St Mary's Church hall.
In lieu of flowers, you are invited to make a gift to:
The Benedictine Foundation of Oregon
PO Box 912
Mt Angel, OR 97362